Darning device.



M. JOHNSON.

DARNING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.19, 1913.

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MARTINA JOHNSON, or roRsY'rH, MONTANA.

DARNING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed September 19, 1913. Serial No. 790,779.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTINA JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forsyth, in the county of Rosebud and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Darning Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved darning device especially adapted for use in darning stockings and, to this end, it consists of the novel devicesy and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved darning device having applied thereto a piece of work in the process of being darned; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the work removed; Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken on the line ac3 w3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken on the irregular line m4 m4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section, taken on the irregular line x5 m5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, with some parts removed and some parts shown in different positions. Y

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate a pair of alternately acting warp holders mounted in a casing comprising a body 3, U-shape in cross section, and a top 4 having depending side flanges 5 and end plates 6. The side flanges 5 embrace the longitudinal edges of the body 3 and the end plates 6 close the open ends of said body. AThe body 3 is insertible between the end plates 6 and is detachably secured thereto by inwardly projecting lips 7 integrally formed with the lower segment-al edges of the end plates 6. To remove the body 3 from the top 5, the end plates 6 are sprung laterally out-ward a distance sufcient to carry t-he lips 7 out of engagement with the body 3.

The warp holders 1 and 2 are in the form of wide fiat metal plates having at their lower longitudinal edges, pairs of spaced hinge lugs 8 arranged to embrace pairs of spaced hinge lugs 9 formed on the longitudinal edges of a horizontally extended rocker arm 10. A long hinge pin 11 is passed through corresponding pairs of hinge lugs 8 and 9. The rocker arm 10 is segmental in cross section and is provided, at its ends, with a pair of laterally and inwardly projecting ears 12 pivotally mounted on a long nut equipped bolt 13 which eX- tends longitudinally through the intermediate portion of the casing and is anchored, at its ends, to the end plates 6. The upper end portion of the warp holder 1 is bent laterally and provided with a plurality of laterally spaced, hook-like lingers 14, and the warp holder 2 is provided with a plurality of laterally projecting7 hook-like iingers 15 which extend in the same direction as the fingers 14, substantially parallel therewith. The fingers 14 and 15 are alternated and laterally offset, one from the other, to permit one set of fingers to pass between the other set, during the alternate movements of the warp holders 1 and 2. The lingers 14 and 15 work outside of the casing and through a common opening 16 formed in the inner longitudinal edge portion of the cover 4 and underlying section of vthe body 3.

On the inner face of each end plate 6 is an end block 17 and a pair of stop lugs 18. The blocks 17 are located intermediately between the sides of the body 3 and the stop lugs 18 are laterally spaced from the vertical ends of said blocks. The vertical end portions of the warp holders 1 and 2 extend between the blocks 17 and stop lugs 18 and are held thereby for a limited pivotal movement on the rocker arm 10 but withfreedom for vertical movement.

Alternate action is imparted to the warp holders 1 and 2 by a pair of horizontal downwardly bowed leaf springs 19 pivotally anchored, at one end, to one of the blocks 17 and, at the other end, to the inner ends of a pair of plunger rods 20. These rods 20 are mounted for horizontal sliding movement in the other block 17 and are provided, at their outer projecting ends, with finger pieces 21. rFliese springs 19 are arranged for alternate action on a pair of inwardly projecting fingers 22 integral-ly formed one with each of the warp holders 1 andV 2.

A work holder, comprising a rectangular block 28 and a cooperating yoke-like clamping frame 24, is carried by the casing. The ends of the'frame 24 are pivotally secured toza pair of ears l integrally formed with the end plates 6 and areso arranged as to engage the end plates 6 and hold the frame 24 in a normal or horizontal position but with freedomfor vertical swinging movement to- Ward and from the fingers 14 and 15. The block 23 is adapted to. be inserted within the frame 24 and thereby frictionally clamp a stocking or fabric Z, stretched over the `i block 23,between said block and the sides and Y manner previously described.

intermediate portions of said frame.

A flat key 26 having a finger piece 27 is slidably mounted in a pair of keeper brackets 28 and 29 rigidly secured, respectively, to the end plates 6 and the ends of the frame 24.V Vhen the work holder is in a horizontal position, these keeper brackets 28 and 29 are alined to permit the key 25, which is normally held in the keeper bracket 28,to be slid endwise into the keeper bracket 29, to thereby lock the work holder in an operative position and against vertical swinging movement.

The operation of the improved darning device may be briefiy described as follows: The Work ZV having a hole Z, which is to be darned, is placed over the block 23 and said block is inserted in the frame 24 in a A needle is then threaded with a warp thread Z2 and one end of said thread is attached to the worn edge of the work Z, on the opposite side of the hole from the fingers 14 and 15. The warp thread is then looped over one of the fingers 15, as shown, and passed through the work Z, adjacent to the place where it is attached thereto. A stitch is then taken laterally from the looped strand of the warp and toward the hole Z and the warp thread is looped over the adjacent finger 14. 1t is, of course, understood that it does not matter whether the warp thread is first looped over the finger 15 or the finger 14. rlhis process of attaching the warp thread to the worn edge of the hole and alternately looping the same over the fingers 14 and 15 is repeated until the hole is completely covered with the warp thread Z2 and then the woof thread 23 is run back and forth through the warp thread in the following manner: Theloop strands of the warp thread are alternately held one above the other by the fingers 14 and 15, as shown in Fig. 3. The woof thread is passed between t-he upper and lower strands of the warp thread, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, and, by pressing on the left hand finger piece 21, the connected spring 19 engages the finger 22 on the warp holder 1, thereby depressing the same. This action oscillates the rocker arm 10, thereby moving the warp holder 2 upward into a position as shown in Fig. (3. During this action, the fingers 14 and 15 pass each other, thereby alternating the order of the looped strands of the warp thread Z2. The woof thread is now passed between the upper and lower strands of the warp thread. The right hand finger piece 21 is now pressed inward, thus causing the several parts to resume their original posit-ions, as shown in Fig. 3. This process is continued until the entire hole Z is darned. rThe looped ends of the warp thread Z2 are now stitched to the work Z. The key 26 is moved out of the keeper bracket 29 and the work holder is swung upward, thereby putting sufficient slack in the looped ends of the warp thread Z2 to permit the same to be removed from the hooks 14 and 15. The looped ends of the warp thread are now cut off and the work is removed from the holder. During the process of darning, the casing is held in the opcrators left hand, so that the first two fingers may be used to operate the plunger rods 20.

lVh at I claim is 1. The combination with a casing, of a pair of warp holders mounted in said casing, means for alternating the act-ion of said warp holders, a work holder pivotally attached to said casing for swinging movement toward and from said warp holders, and means for locking said work holder in an operative position.

2. The combination with a casing, of a rocker arm intermediately pivoted in said casing, a pair of warp holders attached one to each end of said rocker arm, a pair of finger piece equipped leaf springs mounted in said casing for alternate action on said warp holders, and a work holde attached to said casing.

3. The combination with a casing, of a rocker arm intermediately pivoted in said casing, a pair of warp holders attached one to each end of said rocker arm, a pair of finger piece equipped leaf springs mounted in said casing for alternate action on said warp holders, a work holder pivotally attached to said casing for movement toward and from said warp holders, and means for locking said work holder in an operative position.

4. The combination with a casing, of a rocker arm intermediately pivoted in said casing, a pair of hooke equipped warp holders pivotally attached, on to each end of said rocker arm, a pair of finger piece equipped leaf springs mounted in said casing for alternate action on said Warp holders, stops limiting the pivotal movements means for locking said Work holder in an operative position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTINA JOHNSON.

of said Warp holders, a Work holder pivot- Witnesses: ally attached to said easing for movement D. J. MURI,

toward and from said Warp holders, and E. M. SNOOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti,

Washington, D. C. 

